The Marvin Harrison Jr. chatter is the kind of thing Washington has to keep one eye on.
The Commanders already have a workable receiver group, with Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs at the top and third-round rookie Antonio Williams showing promise during his uneven transition. Dyami Brown, Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey, and Treylon Burks are also in the mix. Still, if a player with Harrison’s ceiling suddenly becomes available, that’s not the sort of opportunity a front office ignores.
That’s why the league buzz matters. ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported that teams are monitoring Harrison’s situation to see whether the Arizona Cardinals might eventually make him available in a trade. Around the league, some believe Arizona could be open to a high Day 3 pick just to move on from the issue.
That would be a stunning turn for a player who arrived with enormous expectations. Harrison was billed as a generational prospect out of Ohio State before the Cardinals made him the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The production hasn’t matched the hype, and he’s now clearly sitting behind Trey McBride and Michael Wilson in target share.
There are reasons the first two seasons have gone sideways. Arizona’s quarterback situation has been unstable, and the source material also points to concentration issues that have slowed him down. Even so, the talent remains obvious, and a fresh start could matter a lot.
For Washington, the appeal is easy to see. McLaurin is aging, several other receivers are out of contract next year, and Harrison would represent a possible long-term swing at a bargain cost if the Cardinals really were willing to deal him for a high Day 3 pick. If it doesn’t pan out, the Commanders would not have spent much to find out.
Adam Peters has moved away from making trades this year, and Washington may have larger needs than wide receiver. But the upside here is hard to dismiss, especially with Jayden Daniels already in place. Pairing Daniels with Harrison is the kind of idea that jumps off the page.
Arizona would still have to decide whether it makes sense to give up on Harrison before his third season. The Cardinals have a strong young roster, and if they ever did listen seriously, they’d probably prefer to send him out of the conference.
Even then, Washington should be ready to pounce. Harrison just turned 24, and there’s still plenty of time for him to become the player many expected when he entered the league. If a move unlocks that version of him, someone could wind up with a massive steal.
In Other News...
Commanders May Have Found The Protection Answer Jayden Daniels Needed
For a team trying to keep Jayden Daniels upright, Sunday offered a promising sign. Washingtons offensive line handled a tough Seattle front well enough to give the rookie quarterback a cleaner pocket than he has often enjoyed, and the result was a much steadier operation on offense. The protection did not happen by accident either, with the Commanders mixing schematic tweaks and solid individual work up front to blunt the Seahawks pass rush.
In a game where every snap in the pocket mattered, that kind of performance can reshape how Washington approaches the rest of the season. The lines ability to limit pressure helped the Commanders stay competitive against a defense built to make life difficult, and it suggested there may be a workable answer to one of the biggest questions surrounding Daniels. The challenge now is whether that protection can hold up when opponents have more time to study what worked. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders May Have A Different Plan For Joshua Josephs
Joshua Josephs is one of the more interesting developmental pieces on Washingtons roster because the conversation around him is not just about how much he can rush the passer, but where he might fit best. His physical traits and athletic skill set have sparked the idea that he could be more than an edge presence, especially for a team always weighing how to maximize young talent while keeping an eye on the bigger roster picture.
A move inside to linebacker would be a notable shift, but it also speaks to the kind of flexibility Washington may need as it sorts out future depth and roles. If the Commanders decide to explore that path, it could open a new lane for Josephs and give the defense another option to work with, even if the plan is still very much in the speculative stage. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders May Already Have A David Blough Problem To Plan For
David Bloughs first season running the Commanders offense has already started to draw attention, and not just from inside the building. After Washingtons strong showing against the Seattle Seahawks, Blough has picked up praise for the way the unit looked, and that kind of momentum tends to travel quickly in NFL circles. For a team trying to build something steady, it is the sort of development that usually feels like a compliment until other clubs start noticing too.
Blough is still expected to be in Washington after just one season in the job, but the broader issue is hard to ignore. A coordinator who helps an offense play well can move from promising staffer to head coaching candidate faster than teams would like, which is why the Commanders may already need to think beyond the immediate payoff. For now, Washington benefits from the boost, even if the long view suggests this could turn into a planning issue sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]